When you think of the Olympics, what’s the first thing you think of? Is it your favorite Olympian? Or event? Maybe, but for most, when you think Olympics, you think gold. What other games in the world can you compete in a sport and win gold? Actual gold? Not cash, not a check, the actual object the entire world’s currency is backed up with. And having the most gold is what counts, well at least to many American’s.
So we know they have been giving out gold medals since the Olympics started, but does anyone actually know the process of how they make these medals? Valuable in not only their currency worth, but also in sentimental value.
The medals this year are very unique to the Vancouver olympics. They are the first one-of-a-kind to ever be produced for the Olympics games history. So not only do the first, second, and third place competitors get to say they won a medal, but they get to say that nobody else in the entire world has the same Olympic medal as them. Thats something very cool to be proud of.
Each medal was hit 9 times to give it a distinct look because none of the hits can be identical. Each individual medal has orca and raven artwork, and these designs were created by Corrine Hunt who is a Canadian designer.
Every Olympian awarded with a medal is given a silk scarf that has the master artwork on it that shows how each Olympian’s medal connects to others medals, so they are all unique but combine into the main design created for the Winter Olympics. This idea unites the Olympics and shows how all the Olympians are connected to each other from around the world.
The reason that the medals look different this year than past games is because they are not flat so they resemble the West Coast landscape of mountains, waves, and drifting snow. Not only was every metal unique from the rest, but this years Olympic medals are among the heaviest medals ever made for the games.
So for Olympians that won in this years events, not only do they have the honor of winning a medal at their sport, but they also know that no other medal for the rest of the Olympic games will look like theirs, and thats what makes these specific Olympic games that much more exciting.
All this and more about this years Olympic games can be found at www.vancouver2010.com.
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